Principal Research Engineer - Cryogenics

Principal Research Engineer - Cryogenics

Date: Aug 4, 2026

Location:Bristol, GB

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The role of Principal Cryogenic Research Engineer provides a unique opportunity to work with one of the industry’s most respected minds: Stephen Harrison, GKN Technical Fellow and Visiting Professor in cryogenics at the University of Bath. linkedin.com/in/stephen-harrison-88528119  

The role of a Principal Cryogenic Research Engineer is to provide technical leadership and strategic direction for cryogenic power distribution within GKN Aerospace Hydrogen Systems. The role plays a critical part in advancing sustainable aerospace power and propulsion technologies by defining, developing, and integrating cryogenic systems that enhance overall system performance, efficiency, and capability.

This position leads the progression of cryogenic concepts from early-stage research through experimental validation and system integration, advancing technologies across Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 1–6). The role carries responsibility for setting technical vision, leading complex, multidisciplinary development activities, and ensuring robust translation of research into production-ready, system-level solutions.

The Principal Engineer will provide authoritative technical leadership across projects, drive capability growth within the organisation, mentor and develop engineers at all career stages, and champion engineering best practice, governance, and functional excellence.

The role requires extensive cross-functional engagement across disciplines including Electrical, Controls, Systems, and Prototyping to ensure cryogenic solutions are fully aligned with broader system architectures, requirements, certification pathways and production/delivery objectives.

How you'll Contribute

The Principal Research Engineer - Cryogenics will contribute to the following:

• Lead the definition and development of system architectures and concepts for MW-class cryogenic-electrical power distribution systems operating at temperatures down to 25 K, ensuring alignment with programme and business objectives.
• Own the end-to-end development of system requirements, providing governance across requirements management, safety assessment, risk mitigation and compliance through design into a validated and certifiable physical product.
• Define and govern design principles, material selections, and technology specifications, ensuring robust, scalable, and cost-effective solutions that meet performance, safety, and airworthiness expectations.
• Lead validation, verification and qualification strategies, defining compliance routes through analysis, simulation, and test (e.g. DO-160) and providing technical leadership to certification planning and engagement.
• Provide functional and technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams, chairing design and peer reviews, assuring technical quality of deliverables, and supporting capability growth through coaching and mentoring.
• Generate and protect intellectual property, shaping cryogenic technology development in line with GKN Aerospace Hydrogen Systems’ long-term technology roadmaps.

What you'll Bring

To help us make a difference, you’ll bring your passion and expertise/ talent for what you do along with the following skills, experience, qualifications and attributes:

Essential:

Technical Skills:

• Minimum B.Eng degree or equivalent and qualified with 8 years relevant experience
• Strong understanding of thermodynamic and mechanical principles, with the ability to apply first-principles engineering to real-world technical and manufacturing challenges.
• Demonstrated experience in the development, integration, and evaluation of cryogenic systems, including exposure to manufacturing, assembly, and test environments.
• Experience with high-current power systems employing superconducting and/or hyperconducting technologies at cryogenic temperatures.
• Solid understanding of the effects of cryogenic environments on material properties and the resulting implications for system, component, and manufacturing process design (e.g. welding, joining, tolerancing).
• Experience across the full product development lifecycle for cryogenic equipment, from concept definition through detailed design, drawing development, release to manufacture, and technical review.
• Experience in functional and physical system development at component and system levels, including design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) considerations.
• Experience supporting manufacturing activities such as build planning, process development, production issue resolution, and shop floor engagement.
• Experience conducting and contributing to safety assessments, risk evaluations, and production readiness reviews.
• Experience defining and managing technical work packages internally and with external partners, including specifications, statements of work, and manufacturing deliverables.
• Experience reviewing, approving, and leading design reviews to assure technical quality, manufacturability, and compliance.

What We'll Offer

Once you’re on board you’ll get the following perks and benefits:

Competitive salary dependent on experience
Up to 15% Bonus
Industry Leading Pension Scheme = we’ll match your contributions up to 8% on a 1 : 1.5 basis (Employer max contribution 12%)
Life Assurance 8 x salary
25 days holiday + bank holidays
Flexible working hours including the ability to finish at 12noon on a Friday
Income protection
Shopping discounts
Cycle To Work Scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Virtual GP Clinic for you and immediate family
A collaborative, dynamic working environment 

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further.  And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN.  We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute.  It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’.  By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.​
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